Team sends game to overtime, advances to District 3-5A tournament semifinals

By Teddy Feinberg

tfeinberg@lcsun-news.com

@TeddyFeinberg on Twitter

Posted:
02/25/2014 10:34:28 PM MST

Click photo to enlarge

Gary Mook &mdash; For the Sun-News
Bulldawgs senior Malik Woods contorts his body around the defense of Alamogordo's Mark Denny late in the fourth quarter to give Las Cruces High the late lead. The Bulldawgs won 71-64 in overtime.

LAS CRUCES - In their District 3-5A quarterfinals game against the Alamogordo Tigers, it appeared as if the Las Cruces Bulldawgs were on the ropes as the contest hit its home stretch.

The Tigers trailed 28-24 at halftime, although made the necessary adjustments - the team used its definitive size advantage to pound the ball inside to frontcourt players Andrew Yates (10 second half points after being shutout in the opening two quarters of play) and Tyler Koehler (11 second-half points, and 20 total for the contest).

The Tigers took a 46-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter and, to make matters worse for the Bulldawgs, LCHS physical big man Cody Murrillo fouled out of the contest early in the final period.

But LCHS didn't back down, won key loose-ball battles and rebounding scrums, and edged the Tigers in an overtime affair, 71-64. The win allows No. 3-seed LCHS to advance to the district tournament semifinals for a Thursday-night contest at No. 2-seed Gadsden. The winner of that game will travel to Mayfield for Saturday's district championship game against the Trojans.

"We grinded it out," said Bulldawgs senior forward Malik Woods. "We played hard, we played smart and we played together. And, like I said. We had to grind this one out."

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While the Tigers seemed to get what they wanted on the interior, the Bulldawgs did the little things to pull things out. While the two teams traded fourth-quarter buckets to send the game to overtime, LCHS seemed to find the ball more often than not on loose-ball scraps. The team, led by Woods, made some big free throws down the stretch and into overtime - although two missed free throws from senior Anthony Collins helped leave the door open for the Tigers to tie the score late.

And, while Woods knocked down some big shots from the stripe, fellow senior J.T. Romney was active on the offensive glass and set up some big plays passing the ball.

"We didn't make stops on the defensive end. And I thought, the biggest difference in the game was that they got the loose balls," said Tigers head coach Mike Day. "There's so many times in the second half, we're kind of there defensively, and they miss a shot. And we don't get the rebound, or we get the rebound and the ball's loose, and they get the loose ball."

Day was sure to credit Las Cruces High, adding he felt a late charging call against his team in the fourth quarter - with the Tigers trailing 53-52 - could have gone either way. He also said a late 3-point attempt by his club - with the Tigers trailing 62-61 with under two minutes remaining in overtime - was ill advised. The Bulldawgs would regain possession with Romney finding Woods for a 3-point play on the other end.

"We shouldn't have taken the shot," Day said. "Bad decision."

LCHS head coach William Benjamin praised Woods' free-throw stroke along with Romney's play-making down the stretch. He also mentioned the performance of feisty guard Michael Uribe (17 points) and the team's bench contingency of Sam Silva, Ryan Hernandez and Bobby Spidalieri.

Woods scored 23 points for the Bulldawgs while Romney added 13.

Uribe - who's absence was felt in both of LCHS's district losses this season - scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half (knocking down two 3-pointers, two two-pointers and two free throws during that stretch).

The score was tied 59-59 entering overtime.

"They fought, battled, competed and hung in there," Benjamin said. "Showed a lot of mental toughness to hang in there against a team that big. And pull out a victory."

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